Parallel Worlds
by Chartreuse Green
Summary: [AU] As big city girl Haruno Sakura takes the chance to move into the remotely small town of Konoha with her friend Ino, she encounters an opportunity she cannot refuse and takes up a certain position. There she meets a man—Sabaku no Gaara. [GaaSak]
1. Welcome, Konoha

Summary: AU As big-city girl Haruno Sakura takes the chance to move into the remotely small town of Konoha with her friend Ino, she encounters an opportunity she cannot refuse and takes up a certain position. There she meets a man—Sabaku no Gaara. GaaSak

Disclaimer: All characters except my OC's (who are insignificant) belong to Masashi Kishimoto. The plot belongs to me.

* * *

Sakura struggled with the last box as she ambled through the driveway and into the open doorway. Dropping the container beside the other boxes, Sakura sighed and swiped the sweat that collected above her brow. 

"Hey forehead, here!"

Sakura turned to greet the grinning blonde beauty that faced her, a cool drink in hand. Eyeing the cup appreciatively, she took it eagerly.

"Mmm, peach tea, my favorite. Thanks Ino-_pig_!"

The grinning blonde swatted at her playfully and said, "Hey I'm not a pig anymore. And you shouldn't be talking, _forehead girl_!"

Downing the remaining dregs of her tea, Sakura looked disappointed at the empty cup, as if she was sad that it was all gone.

Abruptly, she stuck her tongue out at Ino, and yelled, "PIG!"

Ino muttered, "Why you little--!"

Sakura ignored Ino's mumbling and said affably, "Hey Ino, you promised to show me around right?" Sakura stepped out into the doorway and shaded her eyes, "Well I want to see just how great this small town Konoha is."

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"You know, I really appreciate you letting me stay with you right now."

Ino didn't bat an eyelash as she replied nonchalantly, "I know you do."

Turning to face Sakura, expensive sunglasses gleaming, she smiled deviously and added, "Besides, what would little Sakura-chan here do without me?"

Sakura snickered and said, "Aren't you sure that isn't the other way around?"

Ino snorted and looked at Sakura again for a moment. Simultaneously, the pair burst out laughing hard, nearly choking.

A few bystanders stared at the girls uncertainly, as if they had some sort of strange, malignant affliction that was contagious.

When Sakura and Ino wiped their eyes of the tears that came about, they grinned at each other. Sakura sighed contentedly and said, "Ah, that was a good laugh. I haven't done that since the last time we snuck into that old man Fujikawa's backyard and stole his garden gnomes. I wonder if he's still alive?

Ino giggled at the memory and added, "Yea, that was when you still had a huge forehead and always wore that ugly purple and yellow jacket."

Protesting, Sakura said," Hey, it wasn't ugly, it was hideous! Have some respect for it. It served me well for three years until you had it burnt in Takashi's bonfire!"

Trying to keep a straight face, Sakura kept talking. "And besides, you were a little piggy back then. Your shadow must have weighed three pounds!"

Ino huffed and her cheeks turned a rosy color. "At least I didn't have a grimy, mutant forehead like you. No wonder Takashi was scared of you, he was intimidated by that thing you call a forehead!"

Sakura retorted, "Well at least he wasn't scared from being accidentally consumed by a certain _blonde_ girl cough Ino-pig cough."

Ino smirked a little and said, "I could have said the same about your forehead, hun."

Comfortable silence ensued afterwards, and the early summer warmth loosened the strides of the two girls.

It was true. When Sakura had been a freshman in high school, her forehead had been unnaturally large and while it had been the butt of many cruel jokes, it had served its purpose. Sakura had become tougher mentally and physically from constantly defending herself. She learned to accept herself back then, even with her also unnaturally colored cherry blossom pink hair. In turn, she had come to protect Ino, who had been quite wide in girth.

Ino had not been necessarily obese. It had been more of a few extra bundles of fat that gathered around her waist, cheeks, and thighs. When she had met Sakura, she had admired her resolve and enthusiasm, which had ultimately inspired Ino to be bolder and to take greater strides. As a result, they had turned out as they were today.

"Heh. It gives me a nostalgic feeling, just thinking about the good old days."

Ino turned to look at Sakura incredulously said, "Psh, girl, those were the good old days? Look at us now! Now, these are gonna be the good ole days!"

Sakura turned absentmindedly and looked at their reflections in the nearby shopping window. Ino had lost a lot of weight since then, and now she was gorgeous. In fact, she was a rising model for the famous Hokage Agency. All the models needed to look sharp, and sleek. Her long platinum blonde hair went well with her tan, and her physique was one that was envied by all girls, despite her previous condition. She had grown to be the likeness of her mother, with distinctive cobalt blue eyes. Overall, she had developed into a sexy, confident girl.

Sakura had certainly changed as well. Her abnormally large forehead had grown in and now was an average size, to the relief of Sakura. She was already physically well and had a pleasant body, but she believed her size was a little too petite. Her height was approximately 5'5" which did not fit too well with a large bust. Although, even with her so called "disproportion", she thanked kami that she did not have short stocky legs, but toned nice ones. But she did curse herself for she stuck out like a sore thumb, due to her cherry blossom pink hair and her large, innocently emerald green eyes.

Ino turned to glance at the reflection as well and smiled. "Well, at least we got to where we wanted. No more awkward stages, no more fat, no more humongous forehead!"

Sakura grinned as well and nodded slightly in agreement.

"Yea." She whispered under her breath.

"Anyways, what I was thinking was—", Ino pulled on Sakura's arm and began dragging her across the street,"—that you needed a change. You know, to refresh yourself, cleanse yourself of the big city. So I made an appointment earlier to get you—," Ino stopped in front of a small building with a large red and white swirling pole in front, "—a haircut."

Sakura's eyes widened in terror and she attempted to scramble away, but Ino had relinquished her iron grip. Promptly pulling a frightened Sakura into the hairdresser, she smiled as she greeted the woman at the counter.

Ino greeted her casually. "Hey Shizune, how's it going?"

The woman named Shizune looked up from her magazine and her warm eyes glowered in recognition.

"Ino, how nice to see you. So who's you friend?"

Ino turned her head and nodded toward Sakura. "Oh her? She's the one." Ino leaned forward and cupped her hand her mouth and whispered," She's a fighter. We need Anko."

Shizune nodded knowingly in understanding and slightly in sympathy. Tapping a few keys into her computer and then picking up the phone, she dialed in quick succession.

Winking at Sakura, Shizune mouthed something that sounded like, 'She'll be here in just a moment'.

Sakura waited miserably on the plush black leather couch. Her eyes were glued to the meticulously polished white tiles of the floor. Her feeling of anxiety and foreboding only grew and she grasped a lock of her precious pink hair and stared at it glumly.

"_Shannaro, Ino! I'll get my revenge soon!"_ Sakura thought fuming.

Her thoughts were cut off though as she heard a booming voice echo through her ears.

"Alright! Anko at your service! Who's the next maggot?!"

Sakura's eye twitched as she referred her as a 'maggot'. Looking up, she was faced with an unnerving sight.

A tall, strong-looking woman with unruly purple hair in a stylishly messy bun stood erect in the middle of the room. She was wearing a white coat with a black half-fishnet shirt and a tight black wool skirt. Her shoes were plain high heels and she had nothing else on except the crazy grin that was plastered onto her face. The gleam in her eyes made Sakura immensely uncomfortable.

Anko's grand entrance was ruined though was Shizune abruptly tapped on her shoulder and whispered something in her ear while pointing to Sakura.

Sakura shivered when Anko's beady eyes slid toward her direction and her grin split even wider.

Taking crooked, paced steps toward Sakura, Anko drawled out. "So…Haruno Sakura is it? Don't worry, I don't bite."

Sakura gulped and clutched the armrest of the couch tightly. Licking her lips, Anko added deviously," Come with me, and we'll get you all fixed up."

Sakura shook her head vigorously in reply and shrunk father away until she was completely backed away against the seat. By then, Anko's face was nearly in hers and the erratic grin was making her **extremely** nervous.

Darting her eyes to the exit, Sakura attempted to bolt for the door but Anko's quick hand flashed and gripped Sakura by the ankle.

Anko chuckled mirthlessly and said, "Don't try to escape, sweetie." Anko's eyes darkened. "No one. Not a single person had ever escaped."

Dragging a poor Sakura promptly across the floor, Anko whistled cheerily as she prepared to do her work.

A few shrieks and the sound of bottles dropping could be heard every so often, but Shizune and Ino merely dismissed the noise. It was quite normal when Anko did the haircuts. Sakura emerged from the back of the room thirty minutes later, being reluctantly pushed by an eager purple-haired fiend.

"Ano…Ino-pig…how does it look?" Sakura mumbled.

The blonde looked up from the fashion magazine she was holding and her blue eyes widened a fraction.

"Forehead-girl? Is that you?" Ino stood up and approached Sakura's figure, easily towering over her. "Kawaii!!" Ino screamed. "You look great Sakura!!"

Slightly surprised, Sakura blinked and nodded. Sakura grabbed a lock of her newly cut hair and peered at it apprehensively.

"Does it really look okay? I mean, the last time I got it cut short was when I was eight…"

"Oh please forehead! What happened to you? You're alive aren't you? So go look in the mirror and enjoy your new haircut!"

Standing in front of the polished mirror, Sakura warily scrutinized her hair and slowly began to relax. It didn't look so bad. In fact, she liked it somewhat. Her bangs had been trimmed shorter and her hair, which had been waist-length, was cropped to right above her shoulders in a messy, but cute layered fashion.

Twirling around in front of the glass, Sakura smiled, pleased with the results. Anko still had that maniacal grin on her face, but had a bit of pride glinting in her eyes.

Shizune said, "Its good isn't it? Most people don't prefer Anko because she's so intimidating, but she's actually one of our most experienced and skilled barbers."

Elated with her new look, Sakura said warmly, "Thank you so much!"

Sakura had turned to express her gratitude to Anko but found nothing but the empty seats of the salon and hair clippings on the floor.

"Eh, where'd she go?"

Shizune stepped up and accompanied Ino and Sakura to the front of the shop as she said casually, "Don't worry about her. That's Anko for you. Here one moment, gone the next. Anyways, maybe I'll see you guys around town. Have a nice day!"

Sakura and Ino waved back amiably as they left the building. Sakura was in a pleasant mood at the moment and was flourishing her new haircut. It made her feel clean, as if she were anew.

"Shizune is really nice. I guess Konoha isn't so bad, not her at least." Sakura commented.

Ino turned and grinned. "You see why I fell in love with Konoha? You'll learn to love it more as the days come by." Ino paused for a moment and then clapped her hands in glee. "Hey Sakura, I nearly forgot but then I just remembered!"

Sakura gave a mild glance of amusement and asked, "What is it this time Ino? A new boyfriend?"

Ino, apparently excited, began babbling," Well that too, but that's not what's important here! I found out while getting my hair straightened at the salon today that Shizune is the niece of _the_ Dr. Tsunade. This could be your big break, Sakura!"

Sakura's mind did not register that notion at first. In fact, all she had heard was "straight" and "break".

Replying quizzically, Sakura said, "Er, Ino slow down a bit. Did you just say you broke your straightness?"

Huffing with impatience, Ino tutted and shook her head. "No Sakura! Use that big brain of yours! Shizune had connections with Dr. Tsunade!"

Sakura's eyes widened in recognition. Her mind fuzzed over as she thought about the opportunities. After a five second delay, she squealed. "Gah! Ino! This could be my big break!! Let's contact Shizune right away!"

Sakura broke into a sprint as she ran back towards the hair salon and Ino trailed behind. "Stupid forehead girl! That's what I just said!"

* * *

Shizune slammed down the receiver of the phone and smiled at Sakura.

"Congratulations Sakura, Tsunade-sama has agreed to meet with you tomorrow in the morning at 10:00 AM. If she approves, then you'll start working immediately. Knowing my aunt though, she is extremely thorough and professional so you should prepare a resume in case she wants to check out your credentials. But I'm only suggestin—"

Sakura squeezed Shizune by the midriff, seeing as Shizune was considerably taller than the girl. Surprised but amused, Shizune patted Sakura on the back.

"I can't find any words to describe how grateful I am! If I can help you in anyway, then give me a call and I'll be there."

Shizune waved the comment off and smiled. "No need for thanks Sakura, it was just a small favor. Besides, it's the least I can do for a happy customer. Anyways, see you again."

Sakura, now extremely giddy, grabbed Ino by the arm and suggested, "Hey, let's go out to eat. My treat. Do you know any good places?"

Ino smiled at her friends antics but replied teasingly," Don't get your hopes up too high Sakura. You haven't even met her yet, and I heard she's pretty vicious."

Completely ignoring Ino's remarks, Sakura pulled Ino across the street into a small booth like restaurant with a nifty shade overhead. The sign spelled out 'Ichiraku Ramen'.

Sakura settled herself comfortably on a chair and flipped through the menu. Noticing Ino's inactivity, Sakura asked, "Is anything wrong. Do you want to eat somewhere else?"

Ino rummaged through her purse and then looked up. "No, no, this place is fine, it's just…what time is it?"

Sakura glanced down at her wristwatch and replied, "It's 7:59. Why? Is something happening?"

Ino sighed and straightened herself. "You'll see Sakura. He should be coming in about three seconds…"

Still confused Sakura, resumed looking at the menu until she heard the first yell. It was a loud and rambunctious yell, more like a battle cry.

Startled, Sakura dropped her menu and turned to look around. Ino sighed and cringed, embarrassed and annoyed.

"HEY OJII-SAN!! I'm here!! Get me the usual, ASAP! I'm hunnnnggrrrrryyyyy-"

Ino cut the voice off by screaming, "Naruto, you baka! Shut up! Some people are trying to eat peacefully here!"

Eyes twitching Ino turned to face the origin of the voice. Sakura turned as well, now extremely curious. A tall, well-built male with spiky blonde hair came into view. His cerulean eyes were glowing with excitement and six light, strange whisker-like marks crossed his cheeks. Other than the weird scars, he had a young boyish face with a large fox-like grin.

Rubbing his head sheepishly, Naruto apologized to the irritated blonde girl. "Hehe, sorry Ino-chan. Just came back from a judo tournament and I'm so hungry. Sasuke-teme was there and so was Shikamaru."

Ino's eyes glowered appraisingly for a moment and said slightly dreamily, "Shikamaru was there? When did he come back?"

Stopping to think for a moment, Naruto replied unsurely. "I think four hours ago. I don't know if he's at home though. He may be at Chouji's wrestling tournament in Rain now."

Ino said a small 'oh' and sighed disappointedly. Sakura patted her back in comfort.

'Guess this Shikamaru is the new boyfriend.' Sakura thought.

Naruto suddenly looked at Sakura and grinned. "Hey Ino, introduce me to your pretty friend!"

Sakura blushed a little at the remark but started giggling when Ino deadpanned, "Naruto meet Sakura. Sakura, meet the town idiot."

Naruto whined, "Aww, Ino don't be like that. Now Sakura-chan thinks I'm a loser."

Ino shot back, "But you are."

Pouting, Naruto turned his attention back to Sakura and greeted her enthusiastically. "Hi Sakura-chan. Nice to meet you! I—"

"Now that the formalities are done—" Ino interjected, "it's time to leave, Naruto." She grabbed Naruto by the back of his shirt and began dragging him off.

Naruto began protesting loudly. "Ino! Put me down! I want to sit with Sakura-chan!! Please?"

Sakura chimed in," Why don't you let him sit with us Ino? He seems like a nice kid."

Ino stared at Sakura incredulously and gaped. "Are you crazy? This fool won't shut up the rest of the night if we let him sit with us!"

Sakura and Naruto pouted simultaneously and Ino grumbled.

"Fine, fine. But don't sit beside me Naruto, okay?" Ino begrudgingly complied.

Naruto yelled, "Yay! I get to sit by Sakura-chan!" Sticking his tongue out at Ino, he added, "I wouldn't want to sit by you anyways."

Fuming, Ino gripped her seat and breathed heavily a few times in an attempt to calm herself down. Managing a pained smile, she glared at Naruto.

Sakura was being efficiently showered with words by Naruto, who had also began eating his third bowl of noodles in five minutes. Sakura gulped a few of her noodles that were from her first bowl and stared wide-eyed as she watched the blonde boy consume an unhealthy dose of ramen.

Though slightly intimidated by his overbearing friendliness, the night progressed smoothly and even Ino had a bit fun, though only by teasing and hitting Naruto. Sakura just giggled when the two blondes bickered over stupid things.

Life in Konoha didn't seem so bad after all.

* * *

Tell me what you think. Review!!! 


	2. Meet Your New Client!

Sakura stirred under the lump of smooth bed sheets. The first rays of dawn were sliding into the window and across her bed. She moaned for a second and then pulled the sheet over her head to avoid the light. Then abruptly, she shot up and looked around at her digital clock beside her dresser.

_7:17_

Sakura dropped down to her bed again and sighed wearily. She sat up and stretched her arms languidly, yawning unhurriedly. Attempting to rub the sleep from her eyes, she stood up and shivered as her bare legs were exposed to the cool morning air.

"Crap. Slept with the window open again."

Sakura slowly stepped toward the open window and stopped in front, taking a moment to stick her head out and bask in warmth provided by the meager morning sunlight. She surveyed her surroundings, appreciating the scenic view of the Hokage mountain and the lush forest near the edge of the house's clearing.

Smiling to herself, she became suddenly pleased, nearly jubilant enough to sing and dance like a giddy fool. Her joy only increased as she realized that the sakura trees were in full bloom.

Then she remembered.

Sakura yelped in sudden revelation. "Ack! I have an appointment with Dr. Tsunade today!"

Sakura rushed around, doing multiple things at once, confused but too frantic to compose herself. Ino, who had been sleeping in the room over to the right, heard the ruckus that Sakura had been causing, and appeared at her doorway, looking disheveled and tired, but still stunning.

Yawning loudly, Ino mumbled, "Forehead? What are you doing? You're waking the whole neighborhood up, jeez. Can't a girl get some beauty sleep around here?"

Without bothering to look up, Sakura looked wildly around her room and rushed toward a few of her unpacked boxes. Ripping them open with unnatural strength, Sakura rummaged through them and pulled out a few items, stuffing them in the crook of her arm.

"Sorry, no time to talk. Gotta get ready for appointment. Go back to sleep Ino."

Ino merely nodded and stumbled back to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Sakura stopped and looked around her room for one moment before speeding off towards the adjacent bathroom and locking herself in.

In there, she stripped quickly, which did not take long for she had only donned an oversized navy blue shirt and a pair of black underwear for her sleep. Turning down the water to a cool temperature, the mellifluous thrum of the shower head splashing water over chilled and calmed her senses.

It took a moment to realize where and what exactly she was doing. Her eyes stung in the icy water as she opened them and she stared briefly at the tile wall ahead of her until her eyes throbbed with a slight numbing burn. Blinking, she shut them again and began her showering ministrations.

Scrubbing vigorously with soft vanilla scented soap, she thoroughly cleansed her body and began at her hair. Lathering a generous amount shampoo and conditioner with a bit of strawberry essence incorporated in, she rinsed out her hair and stepped out of the shower.

The frigid air numbed her skin and goose bumps raised slightly on her arms and her back as she brusquely dried herself off with a soft terrycloth towel and wringed her hair free of as much water as she could get rid of.

Quickly stepping into a pair of lacy red panties and a comfy lacy bra of the same vibrant shade of red, she hobbled out of the bathroom and straight into the kitchen with her leg stuck in one pants legs. Ino, sitting at the breakfast counter munching on a bowl of cereal, looked up when she saw a half crazed Sakura ambling around.

Dropping her spoon and swallowing the mouthful she had, she inquired teasingly," Hey, what's with the lingerie? It's not like your going to seduce someone."

Sakura, now buttoning up her pants and struggling to put on a white blouse, looked up and grinned for a second before answering.

"It's my lucky underwear set. I graduated wearing this; I had my first kiss wearing this. Hopefully, it'll lend me some luck with Dr. Tsunade."

Ino snorted into her cereal and then waved her hand apologetically. "Whatever rocks your boat, forehead." Ino resumed consuming her cereal with a lazy air.

Sakura, disgruntled, tried to pull on the tight business jacket that accompanied the ensemble she was wearing, but to no avail.

"Kuso! I'm never buying designer business suits again. I don't have time in the morning to put these ridiculously tight clothing on! It's so—"

Ino interrupted her by mumbling softly,"—troublesome. Right?" Ino yawned loudly and lied her head down the on smooth granite counter. "So tired…anyways, go ahead and take the car. I don't feel like driving today…"

Ino buried her face into her arms and sighed heavily. Sakura looked at Ino questioningly, knowing that she was not tired. In fact, she knew the blonde was worrying about something…or someone. It was extremely uncharacteristic of Ino to not want to drive because Sakura had to plead to her yesterday to take a walk downtown.

Worry lines creased the corner of her lips and her eyes as she looked at the usual coquettish and upbeat girl. Shrugging on the sleeves of her jacket, Sakura turned and walked softly to the counter where Ino sat at. Grabbing an apple off a small black basket, she put an arm around her to comfort her when the chimes of the clock rang through her, reminding her that it was 9:00. She jumped up, realizing she was running late. Lodging the apple in her mouth, Sakura grabbed her purse and the car keys and stormed out of the house.

"I'll see you later Ino! Have a nice day!" Sakura yelled, muffled by the apple.

Stepping into the slim, dark blue convertible, Sakura snuggled into the soft leather of the seat and plugged in the ignition. Half-munching on the apple, Sakura turned to pull out driveway while strapping on her seatbelt was well. Nearly swerving into the stop sign, she cursed and then turned the wheel to nearly crash into a nearby mailbox. Sakura groaned and pulled on the straps of her seatbelt, making sure it was secure. She was quite the haphazard driver, and with only an hour to make it across unknown roads, she was almost doomed. Almost.

Thankfully, she had an uncanny sense of intuition which was her only guide, considering she was quite forgetful and that only the nagging feeling of something gone wrong allowed her to avoid some precarious situations.

As she focused on the street in front of her, her mind slowly slid to the issue of Ino. "_I'll ask her later." _Sakura thought decidedly. Besides, Ino could never keep something in for a long time. It had always been that way. Glancing at the watch on her wrist, Sakura's eyes widened and she jammed her foot onto the pedal, speeding up the car considerably.

* * *

Sakura sat nervously on the vinyl covered seats at the hospital reception room. The kind looking brown-haired receptionist looked upwards from her papers from behind the glass screen for a moment and gave Sakura a warm smile. Sakura gave a weak smile back as she fiddled with the gold band around her right forefinger.

A heavyset man with a potbelly and a three-day unshaved beard grinned lecherously from beside her as he slouched onto his seat, showing his yellowing, crooked teeth. Sakura wearily looked at him and scooted a little closer to the other edge of her chair. She averted her gaze to the other side of the room and scanned it quickly, not paying attention to anything in particular.

All she noticed was a dark, hooded figure slumping over two seats from the left of her, as if it were sleeping. Unsure of what to make of the oddly uncomfortable scene, she glanced at her clock and tapped her foot impatiently, wishing that she would be called up already.

The perverted man that had been grinning at her earlier had been called to leave. He turned to wink at her before bumbling off down the hallway, following the nurse. Sakura grimaced in displeasure and disgust before picking up a random magazine that had been lying in the basket beside her.

Flipping absentmindedly through the glossy pages, Sakura speed-read over the articles and eyed the local advertisements with a critical eye. It was essential for Sakura to be familiarized with the local businesses and firms due to her now long term residence that was planned. As she looked over the remainder of the article, the final had been printed onto the back. The little insignia had a little white fan with some red and white designs on it. Under it, it spelled out in bold blocky letters "Uchiha Auto Shop".

Making a mental note, she committed the phone number quickly to memory. She needed a new car and she could certainly use some advice on purchasing it, but only if the owner was willing to advise her. Setting the magazine down, she looked up and noticed a familiar figure walking down the hall towards the reception room.

"Shizune!" Sakura whispered loudly. Sakura was swept with relief that she knew someone…but she also realized with a certain degree of dread that her wait to meet with Dr. Tsunade was to be no longer prolonged.

Standing up as proudly as she could on her high heels, she surreptitiously smoothed out her pants and straightened her jacket, hooking her purse around her arm. Shizune greeted her with a cherubic smile and waved towards her briefly. In one arm, Shizune held a clipboard with a few slips of paper in and a pen in the other hand.

Motioning for her to follow, Shizune walked briskly down the hall as she said professionally, "You will be evaluated by Dr. Tsunade immediately. Once the analysis is done, we will discuss and decide whether to keep you or not, and then you know the drill. If you are admitted, then you will most likely start at an intern level or some other wing in the hospital that is not as prominent as doing surgery or other things of the same level," Shizune's tone changed as she stopped in front of a door, grabbing the handle, "And Sakura—be normal. Tsunade-shishou is not one who likes uptight fidgety people."

Turning to offer a small grin of support, she held the door open for Sakura. Sakura walked in, breathing deeply to keep a calm exterior. She was about to meet Dr. Tsunade. The world famous renowned doctor, neurosurgeon, psychiatrist, and many other things Sakura couldn't even pronounce. Her former colleagues at the Medical University would have killed to be in Sakura's position.

Stepping cautiously on the thick oriental rug beneath her, she speculated her surroundings, a sign of nervousness for Sakura. It was a fairly cozy room, stocked with shelves full of thick tomes and other files, probably containing important medical information. There was a few artfully arranged couch sets, with a few tables placed near them, all mahogany. The room was dim and the only source of light came from the large, tall glass window in the back of the room where it overlooked the entire front yard of Konoha's hospital. In front was a large wooden desk and behind it, a large black chair that faced the window.

Sakura gulped and approached the desk. Clutching the papers that she had spent all night mooning and perfecting over, Sakura cleared her throat silently and said," Dr. Tsunade? I'm here for the 10:00 appointment. I wanted to apply for your apprenticeship and your niece, Shizune had requested for the meeting. I have all my papers here."

Sakura stood there numbly for a second and then bit her lip in embarrassment. There had been no response for a minute and Sakura combed through her thoughts.

"_Did I say something wrong_?" Sakura thought worriedly. "_Maybe I offended her…"_

"Sakura Haruno, was it?" A stern voice resonated through the large office. The large black chair swiveled to face the desk and a woman came into view.

Sakura blinked stupidly a few times before replying weakly, "H-hai, it is."

Sakura withered under the woman's steely gaze and she fought to compose her entire being. The woman that sat before her was her hero, her dream. She had all of the world's admiration, at least in the field of medicine, and she had completed and achieved so many feats, far beyond what Sakura could even fathom achieving herself.

Sakura, remembering Shizune's tidbit of advice earlier, bravely locked her eyes onto Dr. Tsunade's and matched her gaze, showing only a bit of nervousness behind her emerald orbs. She scrutinized as well and committed her image to memory. If she didn't get the job, she would probably never get another good look at her role model again.

Dr. Tsunade was a tall, and strong built woman and had quite a few surprising attributes. First off, she wasn't as frightening as she had imagined being, nor did she have the scholarly look Sakura expected. Instead, she was extremely feminine looking and looked as if she could have modeled for a living when she was younger. Her warm, chestnut brown eyes contrasted slightly with her blonde locks, tied together in a pigtail fashion. The most prominent feature was…well… her enormous breasts that were obviously straining against her doctor's coat.

Sakura and the doctor stared at each other for another restive moment before the woman's face broke into a small, pleased smile. Laughing softly in amusement, Dr. Tsunade stood up and walked around to stand beside Sakura. Sakura, confused and little shy about the predicament, wrung her fingers together and looked at the chortling woman.

Once Dr. Tsunade had calmed down, her expression turned more somber but a flicker of humor still lay in her eyes. "Ah, Sakura, please sit down."

Sakura sat down apprehensively in a near by loveseat and looked up at the woman. Dr. Tsunade paced gracefully, heels shuffling softly due to the plush rug muffling the noise. Turning to inspect Sakura, she looked at her with a jaded eye and grimaced for a moment. Sakura, afraid there was something on her teeth or that she wasn't making a good impression, withered under her scrutiny but then attempted to straighten up.

Dr. Tsunade spoke guardedly, "Haruno Sakura, I have heard a great deal about you. I have spoken to your former colleagues and professors and I've received a lot of positive feedback and comments. Intelligence is something I am looking for, but I also require many other traits to be applicable for internship. I don't know who you are personally, but I have a gut feeling you have a lot of potential within you. You know very well I am not going to be the kindest mentor?"

Sakura gulped and nodded meekly. "H-Hai, Dr. Tsunade. I-I am very aware of that fact. Those are one of the attributes I admire about you," Sakura stood up and bowed clumsily, "Please, take me as your apprentice! I promise I won't disappoint you!"

Tsunade merely gave Sakura a long, hard look before breaking out into an uncharacteristic smirk. "You have some gall there, Haruno Sakura. But, very well then, I have approved. Shizune—" Tsunade motioned with a quick wave, "—bring the file from cabinet P under the letter G."

Shizune hurriedly opened the cabinet and rifled through the conglomeration of papers until she grabbed the right one. Handing it quickly to Tsunade, she stood obediently by the superior woman. As Tsunade glanced over the page, Sakura had by then, recovered from her initial surprise and joy from being accepted. Smiling furtively, Sakura's heart beat with excitement and her thoughts were in a frenzy. Her mind could hardly comprehend what had happened; it was all too fast.

Clearing her throat roughly, Tsunade handed the file into the hands of Sakura and she clutched it reflexively, as if it were her lifeline.

"Sakura, you may now call me Tsunade-sama. From now on, you will work around the hospital as I see fit. Your working hours are from 7:00 AM to 6:30 PM for now, and you will be spending the mornings working under me. During the rest of the time, you will be given menial tasks of doctoring, like administering checkups to patients or helping the patients in the children's ward. But for today, and for the next three months, I have a special assignment for you."

Tsunade eyed the file for a moment before continuing. "You will be acting as a psychologist for a special patient. Read over the file, it'll explain everything. This will be a test of your professionalism and how you handle mental stress and emotions. The medical field is not for those of a weak mind." Tsunade turned her chair to face the large window once more. "One more thing Sakura. Good luck."

Sakura nodded grimly in reply and stood up as Tsunade motioned for her to leave. Shizune began to escort Sakura through the door and Sakura paused for a moment before saying appreciatively, "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

Smiling while facing the window, Tsunade heard the satisfying click of the door shutting , and she continued to gaze outside and into the green terraced lawn.

* * *

Sakura flipped her hair out of her face in annoyance as she attempted to glean as much information as possible within the sparingly few minutes she had before she had to attend to her patient. The client was already there at the hospital, and Sakura was hard pressed to keep herself from pulling her hair out from anxiety. Briefly looking up to check for directions, Sakura continued to speed walk down the relatively active hallways.

"_Great way to showing my "professionalism". Being late._" Sakura thought dryly.

Heels clacking furiously against the hard floor, some people looked up to see the rosette-haired beauty storming down the hall. Some looked at her inquisitively while others looked with envy. Word had already spread throughout the employees that Dr. Tsunade had instated an apprentice, and everyone was curious to finding out who exactly this golden girl was.

Sakura, oblivious to the strange stares, took one last good look at the array of papers in her hands, and breathed deeply. Implementing the techniques she had learned during yoga class, she calmed herself down, enough to be reasonable, and she looked around the wing she has entered and searched the name plaques beside the doors.

Her eyes alighted as she found the door she was searching for and she tentatively stepped inside the dark room while fumbling around the wall to find the light switch.

Her hands landed on something warm and soft, as she gave a slight shriek as she jumped back and bumped into an object. Feeling around the object, she realized it was a lamp and she quickly turned it on, fumbling with the switch.

There, for the first time, she noticed the same huddled figure she had seen in the receptionist room earlier in the morning sitting against the wall in a chair. Suddenly, she realized that it had been the figure she had touched that was warm.

Unsure of how to begin, Sakura nervously said, "Er, Gomen. I get scared easily, especially in the dark," adding a shaky laughter, "—well anyways, I'm sorry for the wait. This is my first job here and I came this morning. I don't know if you saw me in the waiting room this morning."

An awkward silence ensued and Sakura began to wonder if the person she was talking to was even alive. Coughing slightly, Sakura moved to sit at the head of the desk and she settled down quickly.

Offering a friendly smile towards the figure, who was still slumped over with the hood covering the face, she added," Well enough about that. Your name is Sabaku Gaara right? And you're here for anger issues." Sakura did a mental cheer in her head because she had remembered her information. "My name is Dr. Haruno, but you can call me by my first name, Sakura, or by the other one, whichever is preferable. So can you—"

Sakura frowned at the unresponsive body and slowly got up from behind her desk. Stepping towards the man, she asked with concern, "Hey, are you okay? Do you need some medicine or something?"

Sakura reached out to grab his wrist and he flinched visibly. Sakura, startled thoroughly, stepped back and emitted a small squeal.

A cold voice rang through the small, confined room. "Don't touch me."

Sakura, startled even more, attempted to retreat back to desk, but tripped instead and fell backwards on her bum. She tilted her head up and peeked open her eyes. The man who had spoken just a moment ago had resumed a normal sitting position instead of a slump and was now facing towards her direction, his back tensed through his hoodie.

Jade orbs clashed with emerald.

* * *

Sorry for the long wait! School's been hectic. Anyways, review ,review ,review!!!!!!!!!! 


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